Peters



(No Model.)

B. T. SMITH. MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES 0P FABRICS.

No. 410,655. Patented Sept. 10, 1889-.

g! r q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSIVELL T. SMITH, OF NASIIUA, NE\V HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND NATE IV. GODDARD, OF SAME PLACE, AND GEORGE H. DUNIIAM, OF NEIY YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES OF FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,655, dated September 10, 1889.

Application filed March 16, 1887. Serial No.231,14=0. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern: It is also one purpose of my invention to Be it known that I, ROSWELL T. SMITH, a collect the clippings taken from the goods, citizen of the United States, residing at which have suificient economic value to war- Nashua, in the county of Ilillsborough and rant their careful preservation.

State of New Hampshire, have invented new To these ends my invention consists in the 55 and useful Improvements in Machines for several novel features of construction and Trimming the Edges of Fabrics, of which the combinations of parts hereinafter fully set following is a specification. forth, and definitely pointed out in the claims My invention relates to apparatus for trimfollowing this specification.

1o ming the edges of textile fabrics in order to Referring to the drawings accompanying 6o prepare them for the market after the proand forming part of this specification, in cess of manufacture is complete. which I have shown a convenient form of The invention is more particularly directed mechanism for practicing my process, Figure to that class of goods known in the market as l is a vertical longitudinal section, partly in ginghams and cheviotsfas well as other elevation, showing a mechanism embodying 65 fabrics in which colored threads enter into the my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the web, the ends of which project beyond the parts shown in Fig. 1.. Fig. is a transverse selvage edges of the goods. section of the parts shown in Fig. 2 in the Heretofore and prior to my invention it plane x a, parts being in elevation. Fig. 4 is has been necessary to remove these threads a detail elevation of the shear-blades and 70 by hand-labor, since no mechanism has herefabric as they appear during the operation, tofore been devised by which the threads showing the position of the threads. Fig. 5 could be distended from the edges in order is a detail plan View of the cloth as it apto enable automatic cutters to act upon and pears while passing through the trimming sever them close to the web. Trimming these mechanism, the fabric being shown as partly 75 goods by hand, however, is not only a very trimmed. slow process, but the work is not always uni- In the said drawings, the reference-numeral form throughout, and the cloth is liable to 1 designates a table or other suitable support present an appearance which will injure its over which the fabric is drawn, said table sale in the market. Moreover, the cost of being of any suitable form, though a curved 8o hand-labor is a very serious item in the exsurface, as shown, is considered, for some pense of manufacture, and materially enreasons, most convenient. The fabric is taken hances the first cost of the goods, besides refrom a roll 2 at one end, and is wound upon quiring considerable additional shoproom a similar roll 3 at the other end, driven by a for the accommodation of operatives. Fibelt 3, the draft of the latter roll giving the 85 nally, the danger of clipping and mutilating required feed. This table may be supported the edges of the fabric by an inexpert or careby brackets 4, mounted upon the walls 5 of less employ is an item not to be disregarded a chamber 0. This table may, if desired, be

in considering the objections to the method divided by a longitudinal cut, and one of its of trimming in use prior to my invention. sides made-- adjustable, in which case the 0 It is the purpose of said invention, theremovable side will be supported by a movable fore, to provide a simple and comparatively bulk-head or wall 29, forming part of the inexpensive mechanism whereby this work chamberG,asmorefullydescribedhereinafter. may be performed by positive means entirely, The chamber 6, just mentioned, is an inclosed and whereby all the objections specified shall space of any suitable form and dimensions. not only be wholly avoided, but the result at- The side walls 7 of said chamber are carried tained in a far more perfect manner, with inup to a point a little above the surface of the calculably greater speed, and with an econtable 1, and then extend inward over the omy which will materially reduce the cost of edges of said table, as in 3, overhanging -5o manufacture. the margins of the table and extending along the same over a space of about a foot (more or less) in width. By this construction open passages 8 are formed between the top of the table and the inwardly-projecting hoods 9, said passages extending around the edges of the table and into the chamber 6. Underneath the hoods 9 the central portion of the table is cut away, forming an opening 10, which has a length less than that of said hoods and a width equal to the space between the adjacent edges of the latter. Upon both sides of this opening are strips 11, forming part of the table 1, and the outer edges of these strips are connected with the top 12 of the chamber 6 by wall-pieces 13, a space 14: being thus formed between the top 12 of the chamber and the table, said space being closed at the sides and open'at the ends.

Upon the longitudinal margins of the table, beneath the rear ends of the hoods 9, are rigidly mounted shear-blades 15, having their edges substantially coincident in height and alignment with the table-edges. These blades co-operate with reciprocating blades 16, mounted on pivots 17, and having shanks 18, which are connected with pitmen 19, operated by eccentrics 20, running in straps 21, which are attached to the pitmen. These eccentries are driven by a shaft 22 from any suitable source of power.

Communicating with the chamber 6 is a blower-case 23, having a fan 24 driven by a pulley 25. The mouth of the blower-case empties into a receiving-chamber 26, which, as shown, is constructed of any foraminous materialsuch, for example, as wire-netting but this construction may be varied in many ways.

The operation of the mechanical parts thus described is as follows: The cloth 27 being carried over the table-top and rapid rotation being communicated to the fan 24, an exhaust is at once created in the chamber 6, which is supplied by air-currents passing over the top of the fabric beneath the hoods 9 and drawn into the exhaust-chamber. At the same time air is drawn in at the two ends of the open space 10 between the top 12 of the chamber 6 and the overlying fabric, and this air likewise is drawn into the exhaust-chamber passing beneath the cloth. Thus two distinct aircurrents are maintained upon each side of the fabric, both flowing from the central portion toward the edgeone above and one below the fabric. By these currents the threads projecting or hanging from the edges are drawn out straight, or substantially so, and maintained in that position, as indicated in Fig. 5, in which position they pass above the rigid shear-blade 15 and are instantly severed by the same and the reciprocating blade 16. The severed ends are carried by the exhaust into the chamber 6, thence into the fan, and finally into the receiving-chamber 26, by which they are caught, the walls of the latter chamber permitting the passage of the air, but retaining the threads.

In order to compensate for variations produced by changes of temperature and other causes, and to adapt the mechanism to different widths of fabrics, by which it may become necessary to vary the width of the table at dififerent times, I make a portion of one side of the table adjustable, as well as one wall of the chamber 6. To effect this adj ustment, I mount one of the hoods 9 upon the movable bulk-head 29 of the chamber 6 and construct the top 12 of the latter with alternate strips and openings 31, dovetailed in together, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon said top is laid a diaphragm 32, covering the openings formed by the outward adjustment. The shears upon the adjustable side move with it, while the opposite side and attachments are stationary. A threaded shaft 33 is tapped through a rigid support 34 and has its end swiveled in the bulk-head 29. A bracket 35, mounted on the bulk-head 29, carries one of the eccentrics 20, which may be keyed to the shaft 22 in such manner as to move longitudinally thereon.

It will readily be understood that the apparatus described may be greatly modified without departing from my invention. w

The machine may also be used for operating upon many kinds of fabric not specified hereinbefore, such as shirtings, sheetings, and braids, as well as other fabrics. Moreover, any form of cutting devices maybe employed instead of shears, though I regard the latter as preferable.

Any form of marginal guides may be mounted upon the table to guide the web accurately as it travels between the cutters.

It is obvious that if the fabric is drawn upon a vertical line the cloth-support will be such in the sense of its being a guide to keep the cloth from lateral displacement.

I do not now claim the process or method of trimming the edges of textile fabrics herein described, but have embodied it in a new application, filed June 12, 1888, Serial No. 27 6,819.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a support over which the cloth may be drawn and cutting devices mounted on the edges of said support for trimming the fibers or threads projecting at the edges of the fabric, of an exhaustchamber having walls extending above and over the sides of said cloth-support and means for Withdrawing air from the exhaust.

chamber having walls extending above and overthe sides of said cloth-support, means for withdrawing air from the exhaust-chamber, whereby as the fabric is passed over the cloth-support the fibers or threads projecting at the edges thereof will'be drawn into the line of the cutting devices by the action of the currents of air and severed by said cutting devices, and a receiving-chamber communicating with the exhaust-chamber for retaining the severed fibers.

The combination, with a divided support or guide over which the cloth may be drawn and cutting devices mounted on the edges of said support, of an expansible exhaust-chamber having an end which consists of a movable bulk-head adapted to carry one of the parts of the cloth-support and its accompanying cutting device, said exhaust-chamber having walls extending above and over the sides of the cloth-support, means for withdrawing air from the exhaust-chamber, whereby as the fabric is passed over the cloth-support the fibers or threads projecting at the edges thereof will be drawn into the lines of the cutting devices by the action of the currents of air and severed by said cutting devices, and a device for moving and adjusting the bulkhead, and cutters mounted upon the clothsupport for trimming the fibers or threads projecting at the edges of the fabric.

at. The combination, with a support or guide over which the cloth may be drawn and cutting devices mounted upon the sides of the cloth-support, of an exhaust-chamber having walls extending above and over the sides of the cloth-support and forming air-passages at the sides of the cloth-support, means for withdrawing air from said exhaust-chamber, whereby as the fabric is passed over the cloth-support the fibers or threads projecting at the edges thereof will be drawn into the line of the cutting devices by the action of the currents of air and severed by said cutting devices, a feed-roll for driving the fabric over the cloth-support, and means for operating said feed-roll.

5. In a machine for trimming the edges of textile fabrics, the combination, with a support for the cloth having marginal cutters, of an inclosing frame-work forming an exhaustchamber beneath said support, hoods overhanging the margins of the support and forming air-passages communicating with the exhaust-chamber, a blower having its casing communicating with the exhaust-chamber, and a receivingchamber communicating with the said blower-casing and constructed of foraminous material to permit the passage of the air-blast and prevent the escape of the clippings, substantially as specified.

(3. In a machine for trimming the edges of textile fabrics, the combination, with a divided support for the cloth, of an inclosing frame-work forming an exhaust-chamber beneath the same, having its top made in two intersecting portions lying a little beneath the clot'lrsupport, hoods overhanging the margins of the said support and forming airpassages communicating with the exhaustchamber, a movable bulk-head forming one wall of said chamber and supporting one of the hoods, a blower having its casing opening into said chamber, cutters mounted on the margins of the said support beneath the hoods, mechanism for operating said blower and cutters, and a diaphragm lying on the divided top of the exhaust-chamber, the central portion of the support being cut away above the top of the exhaust-chamber, and the space between the said top and the support being closed at the sides and left open at the ends, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with a support or guide over which the cloth may be drawn and cutting devices mounted on the edges of said support for trimming the fibers or threads projecting at the edges of the fabric, of an exhaust air-chamber having walls extending above and over the sides of said cloth-support, whereby open hoods are formed whose leaves project above and over the edges of the cloth'support and inclose the edges of the fabric when the machine is in use, means for Withdrawing air from the exhaust-chamber, whereby as the fabric is passed over the cloth-support the fibers or threads projecting at the edges thereof will be drawn into the line of the cutting devices by the action of the currents of air and severed by said cutting devices, and a feeding device for giving progressive movement to the fabric.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROSWELL T. SMITH.

Witnesses:

S. J. M. SMITH, CHAs. l3. TILDEN. 

